This invention pertains to fishing reels and, more particularly, to an improved drag mechanism for varying the drag on the line spool of a fishing reel.
Fishing reels, in particular spin cast fishing reels, have many different styles and types of drag assemblies for varying the tension on a line that will release the line spool with the reel in the retrieve mode. One such structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,120 to Finnley et al. A drag or clutch plate is mounted in abutment with a reel spool between the reel spool and a reel frame or deck plate. The clutch plate has a tab which extends into a hole in the deck plate to engage a slot in a forward facing end of a drag screw. The drag screw is moved axially forward to increase the pressure of the drag plate against the spool and drawn axially rearward to decrease the pressure of the drag plate on the spool, thus controlling the amount of drag force on the spool. The drag screw is moved axially forward and backward by threaded engagement with a thumb wheel screw accessible outwardly through a hole in the side wall of the reel housing. The thumb wheel is captured axially within a slot in a boss extending from the deck plate. The thumb wheel is rotatable in a plane generally transverse to the lengthwise axis of the reel extending through the drag screw.
The drag assembly disclosed in Finnley has several problems. First, the structure does not limit the extent to which the drag screw can be moved axially forward. Thus, the drag screw may be threaded axially forward to the point that the clutch plate puts so much pressure on the spool that the spool is pushed forward and interferes with the movement of the spinner head. Under these circumstances, the spinner head cannot freely rewind line onto the spool when, for example, a fish is being retrieved. Another problem with this structure is the axial rearward movement of the drag screw is not definitively limited. Rearward movement is typically halted by a rearward facing end of the drag screw engaging a rear portion of the reel housing. If, however, the tolerances of the reel are not carefully monitored, the rearward end of the drag screw may not hit the back of the housing until the tab of the drag plate has become disengaged with the slot in the forward facing end of the drag screw. Such disengagement may render it impossible for the slot in the forward end of the drag screw to reengage the tab on the drag plate without disassembly of the reel, seriously inhibiting the effectiveness of the drag mechanism during use of the reel. Finally, fitting the thumb wheel into the reel frame of Finnley et al. during manufacture may be difficult and time consuming. In the fishing reel art where manufacturing costs are a significant component in the product cost, this difficulty presents a serious problem.